Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There are millions of Irish passport holders worldwide. I again acknowledge the challenges for the Passport Office in dealing with unprecedented numbers of applications. Over 733,000 passports were issued last year for Irish citizens. I encourage Irish citizens to check the expiry dates on their passports and to bear in mind that many countries require incoming visitors to hold passports which are valid for at least six months. That can be a challenge. While acknowledging the challenges and pressures in this area, I assure the House that the programme of passport reform will ensure that we will have one of the finest and most efficient online passport services in the world. I am anxious to ensure that the impact on turnaround times for applicants and would-be travellers will be minimised.

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